Hands off Posse Comitatus

[struggle4progress]

<snip> Now, as the imagery of the chaos that was (and is) the Gulf Coast is still fresh in everyone's minds, Congress wants to book us reservations for a new season in hell: The repeal of the Posse Comitatus Act.

That act — one crafted while our government was still sane — forbade the use of federal troops as civil law enforcement officers. <snip>

There is a certain sense of security (of the right kind) when American citizens know they will not be killed by their own soldiers.

Those of a certain age recall the horror that the killings at Kent State brought. Multiply that event by magnitudes to see how serious this could be. <snip>

http://www.newsleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050924/OPINION01/509240316/1014/NEWS01

[nradisic]

1. Talk about a Fascist move...

I lived in Spain, while still inder Franco in the early 70's....Fascism has a sneaky way of getting into our lives and unless we do something to remove the scum....it eventually could be too late...

[smtpgirl]

4. yeah

like living in a police state

1984

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

9. You're right...

...And "too late" may be all too near.

http://www.karlandkinggeorge.com/Great_Refinement.html

[Kagemusha]

2. I keep saying this...

The President could have had the military go in and shoot looters but Rumsfeld made sure this didn't happen. They have all the power to do it ALREADY, but didn't do it for fear of the political consequences. And afterwords, because they didn't, they're asking for more power to do what they already had the power to do and chickened out of.

When the laws are weak, the people in power fear popular reaction more than the law.

[wurzel]

3. "Posse Comitas" is a strange contradiction.

It is based on the idea that troops cannot be trusted to police a civilian population. But what are they being expected to do in Iraq?

[FloridaPat]

5. If we had all our national guard at home where they belong, there probably

wouldn't be a problem of lack of law enforcement troops. And I am really getting sick of the looter problems in NO when there was no food, water, clothing, lights, etc. The repubs probably want the posse comitatus gone so they can send in the troops if the entire nation starts demonstrating against the criminals currently in the White House.

And by the way - in 2008 and repubs will not be leaving gracefully. They are going to fight like hell to stay in power any way they can.

[Daphne08]

6. Very good editorial! n/t

[madrchsod]

7. strange bedfellows?

the posse comitatus act is one of the pillars of the aryan nations..go figure.

[struggle4progress]

8. Are you confusing the Posse Comitatus Act (which wingnut Publicans ..

.. have been trying to abolish for several decades now) with the wingnut organization "The Posse Comitatus" ? ? ? ? ?


Posse Comitatus Act

Section 1385 of Title 18, United States Code (USC), states: “Whoever, except in cases and under circumstances expressly authorized by the Constitution or Act of Congress, willfully uses any part of the Army or Air Force as a posse comitatus or otherwise to execute the laws shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both” ...

The PCA generally prohibits U.S. military personnel from direct participation in law enforcement activities. Some of those law enforcement activities would include interdicting vehicles, vessels, and aircraft; conducting surveillance, searches, pursuit and seizures; or making arrests on behalf of civilian law enforcement authorities. Prohibiting direct military involvement in law enforcement is in keeping with long-standing U.S. law and policy limiting the military’s role in domestic affairs ...

http://www.northcom.mil/index.cfm?fuseaction=news.factsheets&factsheet=5


Paranoia as Patriotism:
Far-Right Influences on the Militia Movement

The Posse Comitatus is an intermittently active, loosely organized group of "Christian Identity" activists dedicated to survivalism, vigilantism, and anti-government agitation. Following the pseudo-religious tenets of the "Identity" movement, Posse members typically proclaim Jews to be the "synagogue of Satan," blacks and other people of color to be subhuman "mud races," and Northern European whites to be the "Chosen People" of Biblical prophecy ...

http://www.nizkor.org/hweb/orgs/american/adl/paranoia-as-patriotism/posse-comitatus.html

[Briar]

10. At least you have a Posse Comitatus

In the UK last week, Sir Ian Blair floated the idea of drafting soldiers (doubtless they will become contractors) into the police temporarily to do its shooting to kill for it.